Was it all a smokescreen from Jackson in an attempt to fool the Steelers? Nope. It was a mistake. Jackson confirmed that Gordon was not supposed to start the game.

Hue Jackson after making a big point about how Josh Gordon wasn’t going to start said a personnel grouping led to Gordon starting and he didn’t want that and was disappointed it happened. So Gordon started by mistake it seems

The 27-year-old Gordon missed a large portion of training camp as part of his “overall health and treatment plan.” Gordon missed both the 2015 and 2016 seasons due to a drug-related suspension.

Who is to blame for Josh Gordon starting for Browns?

The majority of the blame falls on Jackson, who repeatedly said Gordon would not start. And while Jackson’s “personnel grouping” line could cast some blame on offensive coordinator Todd Haley, that still doesn’t reflect well on Jackson.

Gordon made his only catch of the day count. In the fourth quarter, he hauled in a 17-yard touchdown to tie the game at 21. The contest ended in a 21-21 tie.

What happens to Josh Gordon and the Browns in Week 2?

Gordon was on a pitch count Week 1 after missing time during training camp and dealing with a hamstring injury. If Gordon can practice in full all week, it’s possible Jackson will let Gordon start on purpose in Week 2.

Josh Gordon got a start for the Browns, but that wasn’t supposed to happen. (AP Photo)